Our Experts, who have volunteered to share their time and information, include researchers, university professors, AIA Board members, ancient art historians, field archaeologists, museum specialists, architectural historians, and more – all with specialized knowledge of specific ancient cultures and subjects.

We have created a catalogue of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). In the FAQ section are answers to some of the questions archaeologists are most often asked, arranged by topic. If you want to know the meaning of a particular archaeological term, please check our online Glossary.

If you cannot find an answer in the FAQ, please leave a comment! Please be patient, since our volunteer archaeologists are sometimes excavating, teaching, or otherwise occupied, and may not be able to respond immediately.

Comments

I have dug up several rocks with images of prehistoric animals and people on them. There are images of snakes attacking snakes, dinosaurs,everythingin their path. Images of cavemen looking at the sky in awe. Images of everything drowning in mud and frozen under water. I want to share this find but who do I contact?

I am currently writing a fictional novel involving a rescue/salvage archaeology dig that takes place in the Middle East. The book is set in 1984, and the archaeologists in the book have a very limited time to excavate and record as much as they can at the site before they have to leave. I would love to correspond with someone regarding things such as best practices, instrumentation, and methodologies that would have been used in the early and mid-80s. I also have several questions regarding potential obstacles for rescue/salvage digs during that time. Thank you for any help you can provide in this endeavour.

I find a lot of small wood carvings in my horses field they are all in the same place in a part of the field where it is quite peaty ground. I've got hundreds mainly birds but some roman soldiers or other animals the field is about half a mile from a roman fort have pics of some but they look better in real life. I clean them then put a coat of varnish on to protect them

I have what I believe to be a fossil, or some type of "foot" imprint my mother found before I was even born. She found it in a creek bed and I tried to attach a picture of the "rock" but was unable to do so. My mother always wanted to know if it was, in fact, an actual fossil. She's been gone now about 5 years I came across this "rock" as my father was using it for an ash-tray and I would just like to get a professional opinion. Please let me know how I can send you a photo of this stone. Thank you so very much and I hope to get a response from someone.

I have a raised design rock that my father took from an archaeological site somewhere. I will post a picture. I would like to find out information about the rock and possibly have it returned to where it came from. How would I upload a picture?

I recently recieved photos of carved bones possibly from the sand dunes in Venezuela and 2 dagars with sheaths of unknown origin that I would like an oppinion on. They came from an old man (93yrs old), who traveled to Venezuela approximately 60 years ago and hiked the sand dunes and found the bones in a cave. He went back to the same site about a week later and the cave was covered by dunes. It is unknown where he got the dagars from but he has had them for many years. Please let me know if I can forward the photos so you can have a look.

I'm from southwestern Virginia/northeastern Tennessee, and this object was found more-so in southwestern VA. It's my grandparent's & I was wondering what this artifact may mean/is? It appears to be a paddle (but short, it's hard to explain without showing you, not like a paddle that you'd row a boat with). The laddle part of it appears to be some type of bird etched into it, and the handle has, what appears to be, a stem with thorns coming out of it. I would say it's mountains but like I said it seems to be "thorns". A lot of the stuff my grandparents have, my grandfather actually got out of a burial ground(s) when he was young. We have no idea what it could mean or what it is. I'd be glad to send a picture (if I knew how lol).

Hi guy's,i found strange tube like bone in limestone alone a river, I can't identify.this petrified bones are all tube like,they range about 10mm * 2mm to 100mm * 30mm. I also found graveyard of small snails by the thousands embedded in limestone.can I get e mail so I can send photos

I was wondering if anyone out there could help me find out where I could take a scarab rung that my father gave me to see if it is authentic. The ring is amazing and I'm in love with it and I would love to know the history of this ring. But I have looked everywhere and have had no luck. If someone could point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated! I currently reside in Tampa Florida Thank you all in advance!

We found an usual rock in my friend's backyard...What the heck is it? About 1-1/2" by 1-3/4", it most closely resembles a ball of yarn, but that makes no sense, right? The surface is medium brown that looks like someone applied a dark stain to it, to look antique. Weird huh? I wanted to attach a few pictures to give you an idea, but I'm not sure if I can do that here...suzanne miller.

I have noticed in a local strem a large bolder/rock that have multiple indentation (8-12) on top of the rock.. it appears they remind me of a mortar bowl for grinding some down... Is there any other pictures know or examples I can compare these to?

I found what is to believe an old indian tool or hunters tool in a river. I have contacted Portland State Univ with different departments and they don't want to take a look at or help me. Who can help me out? I can take pictures and give measurements

I purchased a copper bangle from a random thrift store, it has 6 unknown letters on it, the bangle is copper and a bit worn out and dusty. It has a pattern swirl dragon like design on the sides of the bangle and small 2 turquoise stones. I have asked a few people and one person suggested that it was an archaic version of the Nagari alphabet, an Indic language or it could possibly be Tibetan or something related, another said it can be Hindi. I would really like to know what it says and also know if it's an artifact. Please Help, I would appreciate it immensely!

Dear Institute, I have an interesting jug. I am unable to identify it. I found something similar, but this jug is in very good condition. It has red lines and raised sunflowers. Is there a way to find out about it?

I found some sort of rock it looks kind of like a lava rock but bigger. I was in the country of Guatemala near the Mayan ruins, I am curious to find out what it is? I am not sure if it is rock of some kind, asteroid, bone or what? It looks like it could be any of these things.

I've looked at many images of arrow and spear points from different periods. I'Ve seen some that have close simularitys to mine, including some fluted arrow/spear heads from the Clovis period. Very interested to know what I have. Was found near a waterfall in the smokey mountains. Any input would be much appreciated. I couldn't figure how to attach an image but if I receive a response I will attach to email. Thanks

Hello, I am inquiring for a friend of mine who has been a regular traveler to Costa Rica for 30 - 40 years. During this time he has collected and or received as gifts many cultural artifacts that are amazing, not to mention the intricate detains of his collection. At present his collection is over two hundred different artifacts, cravings, paintings consisting very intricate art craved in many different types of wood from tree stumps to fine woods. I think many of his items are very valuable and detail the history of Costa Rica as well as Colimbian and the Inca's many items very old and dated. I would like information as to who we could contact to appraise these items, so we can understand the importance of securing these items and protecting the heritage and the history.

Hi, this is my first time on this site. I am looking for info on a bowl that I have that appears to me to portray a shamanic tranformation. The bowl was unearthed in Central America and I believe shows the legendary "Monkey God" that is mentioned in the Ciudad Blanca descriptions. I have tried to contact several archeologists, and the only reply that I received was essentially. "I didn't find it, so I won't waste my time examining it"! Well, I didn't find it either, it was dug up by a guy getting dirt to make bricks. If you have any interest, send me your email address and I will send pictures.

For as long as I can remember I have Physically been dreaming of egypt. So without going into the whole story of how it came into my possession..I Know what an Ankh symbolises..BUTTT this is sterling silver with symbols that do not match egyption hieroglyphics..So I was wondering if there wes anywhere I could send a photograph of my Ankh to tell me more about the symbols engraved into it....whether being real or just Art. Xx

On our Christmas tree farm located in the Coast Range of Oregon, there is a small cave through which runs a seasonal creek.

Found a fossil bone there underground, washed atop a sandy beach.

To my amateur’s eyes, it appears to have numerous features unique to anthropoids and bipeds, but with grossly distorted proportions including hugely overdeveloped linea aspera.

Measuring only 110 millimeters long, I discounted this possibility of it being from a hominid, until recently, upon seeing an x-ray of a woman with a dwarfish body plan who had similarly pronounced linea aspera.

I was digging a barbecue pit when I came across a medal with a leather string, it looks casted and not of any modern century, it has a dragon on one side very Viking like and a prehistoric carving looking of a man on horseback with arrow and a bagpipe on back or arrows, and it's pure silver like it's straight from the mine, not 925 like most silver and it's softer. People have offered me some money for it,not real big money but bigger than most would offer for a silver medal, o yes it's about a once, heavy feeling for a half dollar size. The symbols is what amazes me. And the stone color beads that meet the medal two on each side. And I found it in Yonkers NY.

The stone spheres (or stone balls) of Costa Rica are an assortment of over three hundred petrospheres in Costa Rica, located on the Diquís Delta and on Isla del Caño. Locally, they are known as Las Bolas (literally The Balls).

Could These ball shaped stones be currency also?

Rai stones were quarried on several of the Micronesian islands, mainly Palau, but briefly on Guam as well, and transported for use as money to the island of Yap. They have been used in trade by the Yapese as a form of currency.

I found a funny looking blue rock whilst digging a well in Freetown, Sierra Leone and I dont know what it is. I dont want to raise any alarms with the Sierra Leone officials so I wish to seek your help to identify this material. I have a series of photos and would like to share with you. Hope to hear from you soonest.

How did the political structure of the Persian Empire influence the politics of neighboring civilization? Also, how did the political structure of the Persian Empire influence the politics in subsequent eras?

im the owner of this old looking chalice with a missing stem. Where the stem would of attached is this old black like adhesive and from what i read romans and other groups like that used a type of black birch tar..or bitumen...you can also see these weird carvings all over it...the piece is copper based I believe, but it looks like its layered ...you see layers of metal when looking down at the lip of the cup...is this anything sigmificant..or just crap

I found a rock on a job site the rock appears to have grown around or solotofied around some kind of manufactured odject it resembeles a screw or bolt it looks very old like whatever ot was is turning into rock or crystal itself i was going to try to break the rock to see if i can get ot out bit im afraiad of destroying the object are finds like this rare or does it happen alot

I was once at a beach up in Maine when I was younger and brought this egg shaped stone with me. Its smooth and a grey and white tone with black spots sorta like indents in it. It also appears to have formed some sorta crystal like specks on it as well. I searched to see what it is and im still not sure. Would you happened to know?

I was walking up hill here in Traverse City, MI and thought I saw an old dirty Petoskey stone...when I picked it up I thought I saw the number 5...so I broght it in my apartment and washed it...I could not make out what it was, so used a magnifier...this old stone has several numbers and markings..I think I see the letter F. These numbers and letters? are very hard to see...I looked on line and saw a find someone made that looked similar. In the 1800's;. but this stone is now missing; except, for the few pictures taken of it...could what I found be important? If so who do I show this to? This stone is oval and fits easily in my hand..color is brown gray.

Hello, I was wondering about a curious topic that mostly took my thoughts away . * Does this value anything, found it

In earth one time when i was in a walk near to a montain after a lot of burring I discovred this fabulious object. Once at home I tried to know more about it on the net but didn't reach a single information . I also noticed that is nearly unbreakable concluding this last from many tries in goal to smash it, need to know the name of this blowing-mind rock and more importantly the value. thanks and great's . Hope to contact me very soon

I'll try to explain the situation well enough. I'm endevouring to write a work of fiction in which our myths, legends, and stories of magic are more or less "real" but the energy of the supernatural was sealed away long ago, until 1923 when an acheologist goes on a dig (unknown to the wider public) in which he finds a site with carvings and such that suggest multiple cultural influences, and "unlocks" magic from a fount of energy. Eventually the supernatural makes a comeback in the wide world, and a war between humans and mythical monsters ensues.

For this endevour I need to know some about archeology to be believable--like what tools were used, how the dig went underway and what the process would be like (esp. in 1923) and where a place like this (a fount of primordial "magic" energy) could possibly be.

If you could offer information that would be helpful, answering those questions and offering any other info you might find pertinant, that would be appreciated.

Good Evening. I think I have found ancient fishing weirs using Google maps...(they are fishing wiers, I am just not sure if the are unknown) .from what I can tell they are identical to those in Qimei. I have counted over 50 and can find no information in my research about them being documented.....ever. I have found other interesting finds that connect Qimei to the site in which I located the fishing weirs. I can also imagine a few other pieces of history playing out due to the location and expansion of similar fishing wiers. I am wondering who I talk to to tell about what i have found. It is not in the US......but it is without a doubt a site of a very productive ancient civilization. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I've found a strange thing in the ocean water near the beach. It looks like brown clay candle holder/plate/cup .... Can someone contact me so I will send you pictures and we will figure out what is it ?

Hi so my cousins had a friend who has passed and he had a spiral Notebook and it's got some crazy alphabet or symbols in it as if it were a language and we would really love to know what it is or what it says it's sorta become a thing we've been trying to find ourselves but it's not looking like anything we find we would love to hear from you !

I found a rock in a creek in Missouri it looks like a axe head or something that resembles that. It has a groove in it that kind of look like your palm where your thumb runs down to. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I have what I suspect to be an "ancient" ring that was found in europe. It was found among other items identified as being from the viking era. I was just wondering if I could get some help identifying it. I am not interested in value or authenticity but just wanted some information about the ring. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I recently found on internet this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BspXvwxumts claiming to have found huge petroglyphs (or something like that) in Krasnoyarsk, Russia (https://goo.gl/maps/rP35Md13jvJ2). Do you know anything about that? Are they really petroglyphs? I searched the internet but found nothing about them... if they're really ancient "rock paintings" (like maybe the Nazca ones), is it possible that no one has seen and studied them before?

Hi my name is Domenick and I am 22 years old, I've picked up this strong interest for ancient civilizations after seeing videos on past discoveries. Now I'm completely aware that real life findings are nothing like movies or video games but me and a few friends figured hey why not study research and maybe even try to locate a lost ancient civilization. I know it sounds like we're in over our heads but we don't have our hopes too high, it's just for the sake of education and a little adventure. My question to you is are there even any lost ancient civilizations to be found or have they all been discovered? If not then where exactly in the world should we be looking and research? Your profession is valued by us and we are looking forward to hear back from you as well. Thank you so much for your time!

Hello, I am wanting to inquire about an item that my brother found. It looks to be a very old arrowhead that is embeded in a stone. Please e-mail me so that I can send an expert pictures of this amazing piece! Thanks in advance!

Hello, I am a first year Anthropology major at Kent State University. I hope to become an archaeologist someday. I'm currently enrolled in Spanish 1 and 2, but I am considering changing to classical greek and then studying latin. Is this a wise choice? I figured that classical greek and Latin would have a more practical use in the field of Archaeology. I appreciate any advice. Looking forward to hearing back from you guys.

My grand daughter found a sword in the dirt in some woods in Eastern PA, Bethlehem. It looked like it had a bit of blood near the tip. About 3 feet long but the handle is missing. Would this be from the Revolution or the Civil war? Also, any worth? Although she wants to keep it and play with it. Where to take for testing?

I have a friend who aquired a relatively older piece- antique from his father. I was told that it could be from Persian orgins, but was skeptical of it being that old. It looks like pottery or a pipe with people and faces engraved and carved into the side. It's looks clay kilned and old. The faces and people carved are frontal type cannon with more religious type look that later realistics cannons. Makes me think Byzantine. Please email me or call me so I can send pictures in. There is no link on this comment thread.

In my family we've passed down a ring for generations. Only story ever told about the darn thing was the my paternal grandfather's uncle brought it home along with a couple other souvenirs from the war (might have been in our family longer). Could tell it was bronze from the tarnish and certainly handmade, however, the craftsmanship put into the ring didn't match any industrial era jewelry I'd ever seen. Just for historical curiosity, I hope to hear from someone soon.

My longtime friend who lives near Aguas Caliente gave me some stones he discovered near his mine engraved with many signs , figures and pictograph writings. How can I confirm authenticity and value to history.

I found an unusual object on the beach at Stone Harbor New Jersey in the ocean. It appears to be wood, old and look like an alligator head. It is about 2 inches. I have pictures. I don't how to attach them. I am just curious if maybe it is American Indian jewelry.

I am woundering what to do with a few pieces of poetry that I found in Abrahams ruins in Iraq. I was stationed there about 10 years ago and went through the ruins. Now I'm looking to do something with them. Any ideas?

Hello I found an interesting artifact recently. A couple months ago I found would appear to be a stick with a nipple sticking out at the end of it assuming another piece was supposed to be there. It has what appears to be a totem pole with a Thunderbird a pelican and a mid Western gentleman in his rain gear. Just last week in the same exact spot I found the other piece! It was the handle to the cane that connects perfectly. The cane is weathered has some splits in the wood. Fortunately the cane is still in one piece. Could you please tell me what I have here? Thank you and have a nice day!!

I found a rock that looks like it used to be mud a long long time ago and there is an about 2 inch like half a banana and in the broken part is an outer ring that is a darker than then the next ring is lighter then there is a dark gray ring then the middle is a cream colored tan. And on another side is like a bone fragment that's the same color. Any idea what it could be?

Hello, I was given a sword recently. I understand that American Indians weren't fond of swords as choice weaponry. This sword is not a 'flea-market' item though. It was found in an estate cleanout in Pennsylvania yrs ago and has sat in a closet since. The sheath/scabbard is hand made leather with rough stamping(compared to today's standards) and has no signs of mildew or dry rot. The handle is hand wrapped leather as well. Obviously never left out in elements. The metal has an even coat of rust which, to me, would be a sign of "rough" metallurgy, on account of how intact the leather is. There's an engraved mark on the blade that I can't think would be anything other than Native American style. I took a pencil rubbing of the engraving and have some basic iPhone pictures of the sword and sheath. Is there an expert that I could be put in contact with to find out anything about this sword? At this point, it's an heirloom and am not interested in any dollar value of it. I'm a big time American history lover and this piece isn't even close to anything I've ever seen in any museum.

My partner and I bought a nephratiti bust at a car boot sale not too long ago and were wondering about the history of it. It is made completely of granite and we cannot find anything remotely similar online or for sale anywhere else.

There is a small emblem imprinted on the bottom side of the bust which we only recently noticed and cannot be felt by touch.

Years ago my family and I lived in England. We were given to sculptures made out of animal bone of a man and woman. We have had them for years and never have figured out what they are. Email me if youd like to see pictures.

Recently in the idaho desert in a badger hole 2 sets of bones carbon dated back to around 5 centuries ago. I was wondering who they go to, currently it is Shoshone Indian tribe land, and does that site become a historical site to be later used for more research or does it just go back to public land?

Hello, thank you for this service. I need some help attributing and dating a beaded necklace I have. I am certain it is of Native American origin, but am not sure which tribe and from when. If someone reaches out to me, I can share a few images that may help. Thank you.

Hello, I'm am an exorcist in Alabama. I exorcised a family last weekend who moved here from Maryland about 10 years ago. While cleansing the property, the lady I exorcised showed me an old weapon ( mace) she found on the land of an old plantation up in Maryland. It had a very dark entity attached to it and I am currently cleansing the item. If I am successful in getting rid of the demonic attachment to the item, I'd like to send it to a museum in Maryland for their collection, since the item is native to that area. I was wondering if there is a way to judge the age of an item by possibly the construction of the chain links? I'm not looking to make money off anything, I'd just like an idea of the age of the item out of curiosity, and if I can nutrualize the item, give it to the original area where it came from. I don't think it ever should have left the state. Just my opinion. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, my grandpa found some "rocks" by the Missouri River a long time ago and these rocks lookmmore like tools from Indian times. I'm trying my best to explain this without sounding stupid but we are just trying to figure out what they are one is possitle a tool used for grinding and one is something questionable. We also have some old fossil shells that would be cool to be looked at and one rock that we think might be a meteorite since it is small and heavier than a normal rock and has some slight magneticness to it. Thanks and I hope you can get back to me soon!

I have an assignment that requires me to conduct a brief interview with an archeologist that has worked in or around the state of New Hampshire. If someone could point me in the right direction I would be extremely grateful.

I have something my grandma gave to me. It appears to be an old hammer made out of stone and maybe bone. Would be interested in someone to look at some photos for me to see if it is anything of historical significance. Thanks!

The Maine Historic Archeological Sites.And on page 7 of B-2 it says in the list.Excalibur # 3 Sword Find.Number ME003-008 .Is this real and if so .Is there any information on it? Was it a piece of rusted Sword and wear is it ? What museum ? I woud appreciate any information on it. Thank you very much. Sincerly Wayne MacLean

I saw a site I liked but didn't write it down at that time. Now I cannot find it. It was for virtual volunteering to use my jigsaw-puzzle abilities to virtually match up shards for archaeological sites, both biblical and non-biblical. Then the archaeologists can virtually piece together the objects without having to spend a lot of time on it, thanks to crowd-sourcing.

On what websites may I sign up to do the at-home virtual volunteering of matching up shards for the various sources?

Last week, I bought a few leather purses as gift for my friends while visited Spain. The store is in a basement, about 20 Meters away from a famous Plaza.

After we came out of the store, the local guide told us “The nearby Plaza used to be an old church between 1200 and 1811 before it was razed. In 1999, the bones of some 50 people was excavated from the underground crypts”

The history of plaza really kept me worry – Since the basement-store is so close to the crypts, could it be possible that the grave soils contaminated the basement-store through the walls? Some articles said grave soils from ancient tombs could contain fatal pathogens such as Plaque. What do you think?

Your kind reply will help me to decide if I shall give friends those leather purses.

I recently bought what looks like an Egyptian dagger. Have been looking online and haven't had any luck finding any information about it. The knife is brass and has what looks like a crest on it . Rosewood handle with white round pegs in the shape of two letters x. It all looks hand made and old . I will be more than happy to send a pic. Thank you

My name is Kenny Smith. I was digging a ditch for my grandmother and I came across some really unique things .for instance lots of rock carvings of people and of animals and lots of hearts .im posarive by what I have found it's special.i myself believe it's a lost city thank u god bless .i think the statues are griffins

Hi,
Was just discussing isotopic (strontium) analysis of tooth enamel as a way to trace origin for skeletal remains (eg. with K'inich Yax K'uk Mo). What effect will our modern consumption of bottled water have on the ability to use such analysis in the future, let's say, with a person who consumes only bottled water?
Thanks!

Hello there from the UK. I have a question that's been bugging me for sometime now. Have any of you considered your ancestors? Perhaps just going back a few generations? Well I'm going to go back 40 generations. That in a time scale is 1000 years, allowing 25 years per generation. So let's take a look at the numbers. I need 2 parents, my parents need 2 parents, and so on. So going back just 40 generations how many ancestors would I have? These numbers are based on all of my ancestors being single children. 100, 500, 1000? Not even close. It's over 1 trillion, the exact number is 1,099,511,627,776. Down the street where I live the is a lady with Chinese ancestors, a man with African ancestors, a man with Indian ancestors, and finally a lady with Pakistani ancestors. Including myself that is 5 people from different parts of the world. In total that makes 5,497,558,138,880 ancestors from 40 generations. Now, let's go to 42 generations, which takes us back 1050 years. Between the five of us from different parts of the world that makes a total of 21,990,232,555,520 ancestors. This is from 5 totally unrelated people, covering a time period of 1050 years. This calculation also applies to animals alive today, and the extinct one like the dinosaurs. So my question is where are all the bones? In truth the planet should be covered in bones kilometres deep, but it isn't. WHY?﻿

Recently while running on a wooded trial I found what looks to me could be some type of stone tool. I found it close to a small pond. It has a flat end, fits perfectly into my hand, and even looks like it has slight indentations where fingers would have rubbed. Is there somewhere I can send pictures or show someone to see if it's actually something?

While fishing on Lake George on 5-20-17, the anchor on the boat drug up a bone. I work at a hospital so our radiology dept and a dr. verified it was a knee bone, but don't think it is human. There are shells imbedded in it and appears to be pretty old. How can I find out what it is?

I have a celtic gold bracelet, passed down in the family that was found in Wiedersee, Ost Preussen (now Poland) A celtic grave was found on the von Weitzel's estate in 1886. Through the generations, we've been told that Baron Hans George von Weitzel was allowed to keep one thing from the find before it was all taken by an archeologist. I'd love to know more about the bracelet, but can't find any online information. Any tips to help? Thank you!

I have a question. ......I have found a fossiled leaf in lava rock which is still green.....is this common? I don't think I've ever seen one. If you have any info about this I would appreciate very much....

I metal detect for a hobby, I love finding history buried in the groud . The other day I had found a brass or copper pendant , around 6-8 inches deep,which I cannot identify. It measures about 2 1/2" long, it looks like a beech leaf with a crest and a sunburst on the surface.I would like to send a photo if I could. I live in Vermont if that helps.

Hello my name is John and I live in Harrisonville Missouri. Recently I was out searching for mushrooms with a friend and came across what appeared to be after a little unearthing skull of some sort. At first I thought I was possibly delusional but then after a closer look and my mind and or my best guess is that it could possibly be an extremely young and or hatchling skull portion from a hadrosaur. I was curious if somebody might be available to examine it for me because I will not be relinquishing it to anyone before I know what it is. If there's any way you could assist me in this feel free to contact me my phone. The number is 816-738-5214 feel free to text if I don't answer I'm generally don't pick up to numbers I don't know

I would suggest contacting a local natural history museum. They may be able to identify your discovery. You could also contact local universities for help. If it really is a dinosaur skull, it would be way too early for us archaeologists.

sir, Actually i am a electronics engineer, i have very much intrest archaeology&olden history,so i want to know one thing can i do any masters in this department,i amnot a richman,if i get job ican study my favourate ,isit possible ,kindly reply ,this is my humble request

CAME ACROSS A ROCK THAT IVE BEEN TOLD I SHOULD GET SOME PROFFESIONAL FEEDBACK ON. so here I am. I'd like to email photos so please contact me back by email so I can forward them to you. Thank you, look forward to your opinion.

Hello
My name is Waleed
I found a scorpion carved in a steady rock, showing all the details. I think this engraving belongs to the Jewish or Roman civilization. I want to know the meaning of this sign and what is its significance? I can provide you with pictures of the inscription and the place where it is located.
Thank you all.

Hello, My name is Randi; I'm a Producer with Stick Figure Productions, an Oscar and Emmy nominated production company that's developed and produced films, documentaries and series for over 40 television networks and digital platforms since it's formation in 1999.

I'm reaching out because we're currently developing documentary series in the archeology space and we're looking to attach a few more experts to the project. I'm hoping we can connect to see if any experts with Archaeology.org might be interested in partaking. We're also always on the look out for amazing talent to bring to their air, especially anyone that has a great rapport and a look that would translate well for television (and film).

If anyone their is interested in pursuing this oppertunity, I'd love to chat with you further about your work, as well as ours. Please let me know!

Last week my husband dug up a stone, 18" tall and 6" on each side. On the top is a face, on one side is a female figure,one side is a skull a a hand, another side is the other hand, the last side is not as distinquishable. I have pictures of it that I could send if possible. I'm not sure who I could get to look at it we live in a very small town. I would appreciate any and all help thanks.

Have we discovered any facilities the Romans used for experimentation? For instance, I am sure their formulation for concrete didn't just appear overnight. Where are these facilities? How were they used? What was their personnel selection process like to staff them? The same for water wheels, medicine, surgery, metalworks.

I found a strange looking stone in my yard.It looks like a something a caveman would use to hunt with. It's 9" long, very smooth and rounded at one end, and pointed at the other, and fits my hand grip perfectly. Would you like to see a picture of it? Send me an address to send it. Thanks Rich

I am currently planning on attending a university that offers a history major but no archaeology/anthropology major. Would I be able to pursue a career as an archeologist with an undergraduate degree in history?

I found a stone in a field close to near my house when I was out walking my dog. I picked it up because I thought it looked unusual or was some kind of fossil When I showed my father he said that the markings on it and the outer area of the stone had been carved. The markings look like a strange flower/ starfish. Who can I show to get more information on it?

I would suggest that you try finding someone at a local university that would look at it or look up local historical societies. Some of their members may be able to help you. Local natural history or science museums may also be able to help.

Hi, my name is Samantha and I am currently a senior in high school. As part of our physics class, we are asked to write a career paper about a profession we find interesting. Mine being Archaeology. That being said, I would like to ask just a few questions.

1. Can you describe your daily duties?

2. How did you pick this career?

3. What is your favorite part of the job?

4. What is your least favorite part of the job?

5. Would you choose this career field if you had to do it again?

Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to answer my questions and I look forward to hearing back from you!

What is this? I cannot find anything remotely close to it. Not on the internet or library. I would like to send a picture but this site wont let me attach. My email is navyseal180doc@gmail.com. I also have a Q that needs an A on a rock that has mathmatical equations on it.

Has there ever been any follow-up investigation of the allegedly pre-Harappan cities discovered about 18 years ago in the Gulf of Cambay? I can't find any articles more recent than 2006. What is the current opinion on the authenticity and age of the site?

<p>What are some of the things archaeologists look for when determining whether a site is a good dig site or not and what key factors play a role in researching certain sites? &nbsp;How often does information from laymen&nbsp;resources assist an archaeologist in finding sites to examine, (any info from non-archaeologists such as someone out walking comes across an artifact spurs a major archaeological dig)? &nbsp;If a site is on public land vs private land what can be done to preserve the site?</p>

Hi I am Amr from Egypt . Some one I know just found an ancient book made of gold and every page contains a face of a person and some ancient words . The book consists of number of gold plates attached together by three gold circles . The book seems Christian .

Hi, I'm a student studying symbols for research purposes. Archeology was the closest and most accessible field of experts I could find for expert opinions. In expert archeologist knowledge what are thought to be the most "powerful" symbols around the world. The list doesn't have to be long or anything just informative. I wish to set up an experiment to test if perhaps the symbols scientifically help objects endure trials to see if perhaps there is change between objects bearing different symbols.

I've exhausted avenues known to me researching symbol/figural interpretation, specifically animal figures. A left facing beaver w/extremities pronounced in same area recurs in relief on stone and individual cobbles. The left rear foot is always raised to just below the left eye. This is the only one of several occurrences on land in my family unresolved. Can you suggest some reference material. Mostly AmerIndian, many have been duplicates of Neolithic anthromorphic figures.

Hi I have a stone I came across and the previous owner passed away prior to passing he had the stone appraised at Yale university they claimed it was worth about 30,000 but didn't have any dates etc. I called the university by they no longer do appraisals or dating so I am really in need of help to determine what this stone is and what era or date and of course the value of it?? Could you please help me?

The church I go to owns a large plot of land that has an area on top of a large hill with what looks like an old family graveyard. There are a couple of old rocks that resemble headstones marking about three spots. I would like to get some historical information about this area. Who could I contact for more information or to do some on-site research for me?

Check your local library and talk to the librarians. They will be able to point you in the direction of books or reports that discuss local history and the development of your area. Contact local Historical Societies. They will most likely have records that could help you. You could also try to find local historians at a university near you. An online search may give you access to digital records. Good luck.

Your fossil sounds amazing but the AIA is not the appropriate organization for you. I would suggest contacting an organization like American Geosciences Institute or the National Park Service. They work together on programs like National Fossil Day and will be able to help.

Hello, I have just recently made a discovery that I thought someone on this site may be able to help me understand. If you could guide me to someone I could send pictures to I'm sure it would help, but I believe I have found some extremely old batteries in the historical grounds of my woods, though I can not seem to find any such thing online. If you could help me clear this up I would be extremely thankful as this has gotten my curiosity going.

Hello, I am a senior at a Chicago highschool and I am curious about the field of archaelogy, more precisely environmental archaeolgy. I want to obtain information about the job straight from the source. I am interested in finding out what a typical work week is like. What kind of qualifications does one need, and what kind of job options are there for someone interested in archaelogy. I want to know as much as possible about the life an archaelogist. Thank you!

Years ago, I saw on the news in North Carolina that a huge pile of swords was found to have been buried in the north east. Maybe on native peoples land, I can't recall. But I cannot find ANYTHING about it anywhere on the internet. Does any of this sound familiar to you?

I have been assigned a project on use wear. I figure I can create a stone tool myself or analyze a lithic collection.. I am just stuck on what I should do? Do you have any good ideas for me? I am completely drawing a blank.

I live in Trinity county in the town Weaverville CA a place that holds so much history the gold rush. Chinese indentured servants, Native americans, massacres, and battles as well as lost treasures and artifacts. and the county has every type of mineral and gem stone that is found on earth. I found what looks like an arrowhead or maybe a tooth of some sort and if anyone can help me i would really like to know what it is please. Thank youI live in Trinity county in the town Weaverville CA a place that holds so much history the gold rush. Chinese indentured servants, Native americans, massacres, and battles as well as lost treasures and artifacts. and the county has every type of mineral and gem stone that is found on earth. I found what looks like an arrowhead or maybe a tooth of some sort and if anyone can help me i would really like to know what it is please. Thank you i cant figure out a picture on this but can send pic via email if anyone is interested in seeing what it is

Hello. My husband and I have a sculpture about 12 inches in height. It is maybe Mayan, depicting a man sitting criss cross with hands on his knees. Two other hands look to be opening the sleeves of his shirt and letting two snakes out, one for each arm. He looks to have something horizontal attached to his chin, has his ears stretched out with gauges and has a headdress with rope looping on either side. We have scoured the Internet trying to figure out what this sculpture could be. Any suggestions on what I can do to learn what it is?

Hi. Found you online and wanted to know if you could help me figure out what & roughly how old this is. It's a lead sculpture that weighs over 2 pounds about 5 half inches long & 3 inches wide. It was dug up in Illinois by a farmer plowing his Fields " Mennonite farm near the town of Anna by the Trail of Tears ... looks Indian but the sculpture headpiece looks different .. Any input would be totally greatly appreciated. Thanks ... got pics of you want to see them

Hello, I was just wondering if there have been any findings of a lost Greek god of essentially kama or balance. The name should be at least pronounced I des ill iss, possibly even spelt that way in English. I'd really appreciate any sort of intell on the subject and if there is none sorry to be a waste of your time and please accept my gratitude for your consideration.

Hello. I live in Murrells Inlet,SC and found what appears to be an old coin on the beach just after the recent hurricane. It was covered in corrosion and rust and I have been holding onto it since and decided to soak it in white vinegar. I only soaked it for a short time before it began revealing blue fiberous material on both sides. I am afraid to go any further with it before asking an expert what to do next. It's clearly a coin or medallion of some sort that has obviously been under the ground or sea for a very long time. I have heard tales of pirate ships using that area long long ago and am very curious as to whether I have found something valuable or not.

I would suggest that you contact your local Historic Preservation Office about the coin/medallion. The AIA does not work with objects that are not part of an offical archaeological project. Also, we would never assess a monetary value for any artifacts. That would go against our Code of Ethics.

I found something that looks like a rock but after cleaning it and I had it tumbling for a few days it looks like a petrified piece of the insides of a body part with red meat and blood vessels and a bone going through it. I would gladly end a picture.

I found what I think is a old tomahawk head but ant sure I would like for some to tell me about it..I've been told that it's a very rare find if you could email me and I can't send you pictures of it...

Yes, Yogesh, you can absolutely enter the archaeological field. I would suggest that you explore the possibility of attending a field school or volunteering on a project to get a feel for the discipline. You can also look into MA programs in archaeology.

I'm doing research for an article on the importance of names in ancient Egypt, focusing on the naming of children. I am having trouble finding reliable sources concerning naming rituals and the signifcance of names for children who are not of royal birth. Do you have a list of experts I might I contact or resources I could use? Thank you.

We could not find anything specific about children's names in Egypt but this book would be a good resource for names and a starting point for your research--Ronald J. Leprohon The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary.

So I am a senior in highschool and I am very interested in becomeing an archaeologist. Where can I go to look up good colleges and ways to eventually recieve my docs? And what can I do in the mean time to study the subject and possibly do some hand on expirence?

Hello- My son has been looking for a book entittled Attis: King, Priest and God. He has been looking for years. It pops up on Amazon and EBay at 175.00 a pop. He has paid the money only to not have the book sent to him which results with him getting a refund and no book. Not sure if this is a scam. The book is written in Italian, but a few copies were in English. i have never seen a book so hard to get. I understand it is out of print, but you'd think someone, anywhere, would want to sell their copy at such a high price. Have you heard of this book? Can you tell me anything about it? are there other books that delve into this cult? My son has had no luck in this matter. Thank you.

My husband found a bunch of old arrowheads, tools, etc out where he's working. He's a fencer and was building a fence for some man who bought some Native American land and was gives permission to keep the things he found. Im just wondering if they are real ancient artifacts or if they are frauds. I don't see a way to post pictures here but if you could email me, I'd love to send you some.

Although it's very interesting when we learn things from history, I just think we have something in the present that all that money can be spent on. I promise I'm not trying to argue or minimaize the work done, but don't you think the money would be better spent on hungry children today? I'm not a liberal but I am a mom. Thanx so much.

This is a tough question. If the only choices were archaeology or hungry children, hungry children would win out every time (and rightfully so). The reality is that we spend money on a whole variety of things that we consider important in addition to feeding hungry children. Research (including archaeology and history) is critical to advancing human knowledge. Disciplines like archaeology and history help us to better understand human behavior over the years and this knowledge allows us to address many of the current issues that we face. Also, the amount of money spent on archaeological and historical research is actually quite small.

Hello! I'm a student of the Cicerone Program (think beer sommelier). I am currently studying history and was curious about ancient symbols for this old school beverage. What is the oldest known symbol for beer? How did it evolve over time? (Sumerians, Egyptians, etc) Thank you!!

I think I may have found something on google earth that I am curious to find out if the archeology community is aware of its existence or not ,It is in the middle of nowhere in the centre of the dessert near Egypt it is umarked and there are no roads or paths that go to it ,nor is there any civilization around it for miles ,It look as if it is a man made structure covered in a layer of sand ,I googled the coordinates and searched what I could nothing comes up as a marked destination but there is Definatley something there.I have saved the coordinates as well as screen shots .My question is who or how do I contact a university of archeology to find out ask some questions and see if we can figure out what this thing is ? Thanks for your time hope to hear back soon&nbsp;</p>

I would suggest that you contact the Laboratory for Global Observation at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. The director of the lab has extensive experience with locating sites using satellite imagery and specific knowledge of Egyptian sites.

Hello, I am Amit and I am doing my project on cultural relics repairing. I have on equestion, Is there any software available which help us to obtain the original 3D model of the object from broken fragments? If yes then can you please tell me some software?

I am reading a journal written my an archaeologist in the 1930's. In it, he decribes finding burials. Sometimes he says that the skeleton/burial is a reburial. How can he tell when it is a reburial as oppossed to a (first time) burial?

Usually, an archaeologist can tell if a body has been reburied or moved after it was initially interred because of the disturbance to the setting in which the body is found. The skeletal material itself may show signs of having been moved (pieces may be lost, bones may be damaged). The burial cut or pit may show that it was dug and filled several times. The bits of soil attached to the body may be difefrent from the soil that it was found in leading one to conclude that it may have been moved there from a different location. There are many little clues that could indicate that the burial was not a first time burial.

tumb found with clay pot with skull inside and a jade ax with a lion or wolf engraved into one side of the jade ax. and rock pyramid 8meters long 4meters wide stacked 12meters tall skull painting on a huge rock animals people and some type of wrighting engraved into rock. I would like to know what type of people these are?

Where was this tomb found? Was this found during an official and permitted excavation? If so, there will probably be a report on the discovery. If it was not found in the course of a legitimate exacavation, it may be illegal.

Tough question. There is not a definite answer to this question but general opinion seems to favor stairs as having come before a ladder. The first stairs may have been footholds cut into rocks or trunks of trees (but would that make them ladders?).

We suggest that you contact your local natural history museum or university. They may have experts on staff who can answer your question. You can also look online at images of teeth for comaprison but it would be easier to take it to an expert. Your local vet may be able to tell you whether it is an animal tooth.

Hello, my name is Stephanie Perez and I attend frankford high school in Philadelphia, Pa. I&#39;m a senior and I would like to ask a few questions for my senior project on archaeologist. I will be very grateful if an experienced archaeologist can answer only 6 for me. The questions are:

1) what is your job title?

2) how many years have you worked as an archaeologist? We&#39;re they all within the same company?

3) would you describe the duties you perform at work?

4) what do you like about your job?

5) what is the most difficult aspect of your job?

6) based on your experience, what would you say to a person considering a carter in archaeology?

It will be very helpful if Someome can take the time out of their day and answer these few questions I have. Thank you, Stephanie Perez

So I've been watching a lot of documentaries lately on early ancestry, and the various other kinds of human to exist along side us in prehistory. What I'm wondering is this... when a new speceis is found, sey... Homofloresiensis for example (which I think was only just discovered in 2005)... On what grounds do they decide it's an entirely new species? How can someone be sure it's not just a strange looking member of one of the other species of hominid known to already exist at the time dated? Are they finding whole villages of these guys? I hope this question isn't completely ridiculous. I'm genuinely curious. I've wondered that since I first heard about the discovery of Lucy, the Australopithecus afarensis. I remember as a kid seeing that and going...wait, so they know the general timeperiod, they know she's small, they know she's an adult...but this is the only skelliton we see...how do we know she's not a dwarf? how do we know it's a species and not just...Lucy? haha. I feel like my questions are probably easilly explained, but I'd apreceate any respose I can get. Hope this isn't a waist of anyones time.

Generally, scientists who discover fossils have to compare the new finds to existing fossils. They look for unique characteristics that cannot be explained by abnormalities or variation within a known species. But this is a very simplistic explanation for a complex issue. For more on identifying species and how it works, look at these articles:

There are so many hidden mysteries in this world, and in the short exsistance of humans, we've only cracked the surface. My uncle was a huge fan of one Joan of Arc. I followed in his footsteps and went back even further in history. I want to discover the truth on King Arthur. Was excalibur real? Is camelot real? Does Charels Martel and Jeaan d'arc connect to either one? I think yes. I belive that history is filled with as many lies as truth. I believe we are looking in the wrong places. How would I begin this trip to discovering either, if any?

Depends entirely on what the archaeologist is trying to do. Generally, an achaeologist spends a lot more time in the office and lab doing analysis and writing than in the field. In most cases field seasons only last a few weeks each year (6 to 8 on average) and some of that time even is spent in labs.

If I would like a job that involves lots of exploring and travel, would archaeology be a wise career to pursue? I would really like to see places out of the USA and get my hands dirty, but have heard that a lot of jobs in the archaeology field do not involve such things.

While field archaeology would generally involve travel and exploration, I would definitley not recommend archaeology as a career for that purpose. Archaeology is a serious scientific endeavor and most of your time will be spent in labs, offices, and libraries.

Hi, where can I get an object tested by carbon 14? I tried the Beta Analytic Associate but they only do it for professionals. Like Universities, archaeologist etc. It's not for any credit just for my curiosity. Thanks! livingstoneman@gmail.com

Think of archaeological objects as clues to a mystery that the archaeologists have to solve. Ancient people did things that left material signatures (artifacts and features). The collections of materials that archaeologists find were formed as a result of the actions of people in the past. Archaeologists have to collect and analyse the materials to recreate those actions.

I am a student in South East Alaska and have a question regarding an artifact I've discovered. I was hiking an island along the very coast of Alaska a couple years back when I rested on a rock. The rock was unusually uncomfortable, and running my hands along it's face I found it oddly textured. At first I thought the lines to be from animals, or strange water movement, till I looked at two more rocks nearbye with greater images. There are tear drops, several swirls, an almost infinty looking symbol, and several other primarily swirl based designs, and sqaured almost face designs on some. I had taken pictures, but do to loss of the pieces of technologies they were saved on, I no longer have them. I handful of people know about the rocks, and have seen the pictures. They are deffinetely old, and deffinetely man made. I'd like to make a trip out to them to either gather one (I know I shouldn't, and it's most likely illegal) or take some more photo's. I am looking for guidance though on what I should do with the discovery. I would like to take them honestly, but I'd also like to make them veiwable to other people. At the moment they are sitting being erroded away by the ocean where no one can see or enjoy them.

When you start the actual digging process, how do you know when you have reached a different layer of soil? Do you rely on the color alone? Or does the soil actually feel different? I've seen pictures of excavation sites with trenches and supposed outlines of inhabited areas, but the soil all looks the same to a layperson like myself. I feel like relying on the color of the soil alone would take forever, since that means you can only dig a tiny bit of soil at a time. This is most likely an idiotic quesiton, but if someone could please kindly answer that'd be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

We rely on changes in color, texture, compactness, nature of inclusions, and various other clues that let us know whether one layer of soil is different from an other layer. In most cases, as you get more field experience, it get easier to distinguish between the different layers of soil.

In the past year or so I've become fascinated and extremely interested in archaeology, especially the local archaeology here in the Salt River Valley, Arizona (Phoenix area). I've been reading everything I can find online regarding our local history & archaeology, and I've found quite a bit of information.

In most of these documents, they will describe the location of a particular archaeological site as (for example): AZ T:12:48 (ASM) or sometimes just T:12:48

Is this some sort of grid system? And if so, where can I find this map or grid system? I have looked online for any info on this, and I cannot find any.

Im interested in Identifying some ancient books and writing. I'm unable to find anyone that can understand the writing. Its seem to be a mixture of Arabic and Hebrew I think, and maybe a n outdate language.

Hello. For some reason I cannot view the photo that you posted. I am a NJ-based forensic geologist and have published on archeological discoveries. I may be able to assist. My email is antongeoresearch@gmail.com if someone has not already helped you.

You know, I had the weirdest dream about easter island and the community being an advance civilization. All I've seen tho about it was the Easter Heads based on the recognition of people's findings that advance their civilize manners. Everything from politics to architect of contraptions. I'm sure if they were alive today they tell us every name of each head before a volcanic incident and rough environmental sea demolish that whole sea island.

The people who weren't excepted by their community was vanqished on the other side of the island. I couldn't tell if it was eastern or southern but the funny thing tho is what I was doing that brought the whole imagination to me. I was using my ipad in island hopping the map/gps navigation using the 3d real time option. Me and my father were talking about the calderas in the pacific area and then all of a sudden i jumped onto the easter island. Now the unlucky island I looked at had a funny looking impact crater which was argued by my father as a caldera. I wouldn't doubt a soil geologist in taking a quick glance at it but I also had a weird thought.

During a time as a tribesman I was standing on the north end of the island admiring the stars as if it had something to tell me about existence. no Asterology philosophy but a person looking for reason to be recorded bigger then the faces of my own tribe. All of a sudden a big burning star crashes to the southern part of the island which lit up the horizon. As if it was a sign of something that I was asking for in proof of existence. Then I wake up and realized it was just a dream... Anyways beyond that I dreamt about the future in the discovery of the impact crater where 50 feet of dirt was remove in claming it to be a lava tube, but also a debate on the actuality of it to be a portion of a comet gas tail. Or maybe even something worst undeclared as a hybrid asteroid/comet do to the internal gases not expanding till the rock has entered the atmosphere causing it to fall at greater speeds like a missle. Either way while writing this I had an imagination of a black and white photo or an earlier Polaroid picture of a crew who lifted it on a pully and discovered it already but misclaiming the actual findings.

Either way I found no evidence or claims on the internet as hot searches for the discovery of what that was on the east island but I also started chuckling about if my imagination was real how ironic it was for the people to fled to the east part of the island during the "pompai" incident which shook the ocean to and how much safer the souther part of the island would be which was considered to have nothing and was deserted as an exile demonic place... Apparently in actuality it would of been safer but like I said I had no direction in my dreams just clues even tho I'm a sagittarius.

Anyways my question is is their any evidence of that crater being volcanic or an impact crater?

I am having an argument with someone as regards hominid adaptation to the cold without furs and it would be really helpful if an archaeologist could provide me with details of any archaeological sites in arctic(or at least cold) climates where Homo Erectus fossils were found. All I could find online was some mention of Denisovans fossils found in the Altai mountains(now a very cold, arid environment), but I was wondering if earlier hominids, such as homo erectus, had been found in Siberia or similiar cold environment? Thanks!

So I'm considering a story, and in it I need a library to be found after a long time, but the books are still in decent, if not perfect, condition. How old could this hypothetical library be, and be realistic? Basicly, in a decent, unbreached enviroment, how long could paper or parchment last without care?

Was digging up some dirt, doing construction work and found a mask along with some other items in the ground. It looks like it's made of almost a marble material, very heavy. Almost like a long necklace. It was found in Guanajuato, MX.
I wish I could post a picture to show.

Is there anywhere I could take this to see the value of this item? I'm located in Chicago, IL.

Why would an early inhabitant of New France have their head detached and placed between its knees or leg area when found buried. The skeleton was found in small graveyard dating to around 1705. Might it have something to do with witchcraft? Can you please respond asap

Is there a template or formula against which to evaluate the technology of a civilization? For instance, what is the value of a stick compared with the value of a pointed stick? If we were comparing two civilizations, one with a stick and one that had developed the pointed stick, how can we determine by how much the other civilization progressed?

Is there reason to believe that moch of the evidence of man during the Ice Ages would exist below sea level. After all men tend to settle warmer regions near shores. If man did so during the Ice Ages evidence would be far below current sea levels.

Why couldn't Core 7 have been drilled with a version of a hand brace drilling device with a shoulder mount looking like the top of a walking crutch only updside down, 3 men could drill it switch out positions and using leg power to push up, and the arm power of the other two, and using emerald or sapphire dust, prefferably sapphire with it being harder, with a copper cylinder head? Its not very hard to believe the Ancient Egyptians could have come up with multiman use tools, they had both sapphire and emerald, both harder than the granite, and no wooden pieces of such a tool would survive. Not positive if this has been thought of, ruled out, etc.. I just leanred of this watching Ancient Impossible, Season 1 Ep 6 that said no one had any idea how they could have accomplished it on H2 and I have no degree in engineering, archeology, geology, minerology, or any degree higher than an AA degree in psychology and biology and I thought of this while watching them talk about it. I'm sure the best minds of ancient egypt, whose sole job was the building of complex monuments and coming up with new technologies, could have figured it out. Yes, I understand that I'm predisposed to that technology, even if known as an at least medievil technology, I'm pretty sure a group of people's whose entire job was coming up with ways to do seemingly impossible jobs could have figured it out, or something close to it. Like I said, I'm asking, or at very most suggesting.

'There is no radiocarbon date, but they make a convincing date that the mineralization and taphonomy of the incisions happened along the same time-line as the bone itself; and that the bone is from the Vero beach deposits. That is, it is not an imported specimen, nor is it a recent forgery. By comparison to the known pattern of extinction of megafauna (the bone is either proboscidean or sloth) then none and incision are inferred to be at least 13,000 calendar years old.'

Sir/Ms... I recovered many years ago what a University collections manager described as a 'carbonate encrusted chert nodule' that has what a prudent person would agree is a trunked mammal carved/ground/pecked in relief. It is obvious to the enlightened that it is not recent.

If the carving/egraving from the Vero Beach artifact were discovered on a piece of chert would it have warranted a second look?. It appears to the layperson the medium (bone) taxonomy was requisite to validation . Also could you give me the concensus on Infrared Laser Raman Spectrography as it applies to ageing lithic material?

There was an account (maybe read it in NGA mag) of a discovery done by amateur explorers somewhere in Asia, I think near or around Cambodia, but it could be near the Harappans too, because of the tales from children that played in the jungle around one of the edifices. It quickly became obvious to the amateur explorers they needed professionals and that was the beginning of a huge discovery of a civilization that had sewers before the Romans did. I think the Harappans, did too, but I am not sure if this is the story, as I thought the discovery I talk about was in the 80’s and I understand the Harappans were discovered in the 20’s.

I work in a very small school district in north east Ohio and have a young man (13 yrs. old) who would love to go into archaeology but is planning on becoming a mechanic instead "because I should focus on what is possible rather than something I know can't come true."

Are there any volunteer opportunities in north east Ohio that are open to teens, which might show him that this IS a door he might open?

You recently provided a web address for online graduate degree programs--both master's and PhD-- offered in the U.S. and England. Would you please provide an similar web address for online undergraduate degree programs offered in the U.S., Canada or England? I have had difficulty in finding an authoritative list through my own searching. Thank you.

I was stationed at Shemya island in the Aleution chain and was looking at it through google maps satellite view and noticed a carving that looked like a fish on the north east portion of the Island. Was wondering if you could look into this

My friend looking for a having Master/Phd degree in Archaeology via online. he lives in Iraq,are there any programs in US unversities offering this kind of opportunity?He already has a Master in Archaeology from Baghdad University.

In the Wescar Papyrus it refers to a the character "Reddedet" as the wife of a "wab-pnest of Re". It seems to suggest a follower or priest. My question is what is a wab-pnest of Re? Is wab-pnest mentioned elsewhere that defines the term or is the definition of the term based itself off the Wescar Papyrus? Second question, could a member of a royal family also be refered to as a wab-pnest of Re?

This is a tough question but here is the response from one of our Egyptian archaeology specialists:

The earlier groups in Egypt were the ones from which the later civilization developed over the course of thousands of years. There is technically no earlier history because the field of 'history' begins with writing and when writing begins we already have ancient Egypt. I cannot think of any attestations of Egyptians being concerned about prehistoric people living in broader Africa or the Middle East. They would 'collect' elite goods which may have been old that may have traveled to Egypt from elsewhere but that's not really studying another culture.

I have a friend in the Philippines whose grandfather stumbled across what appears to be a collection of burial pots on his land. They are definitely pottery because one of the tribal people washed off a small section of one of the objects and it was like wet, unfired pottery. They are rounded, a bit larger than a basketball, and have a pinched closed opening. This is a very delicate subject in that part of the world because so much of tribal history has been lost to looters and people who have taken advantage of the tribe and bought their artifacts for very little money. My friend has possession of one of these -- they do not wish to contact the government, they have in general been treated very badly by the government. They do however wish to have an archaeologist look at them. It is my understanding that an archaeologist in the Philippines must get permission from the government to even take a look at something like this. The site is fairly near the facepots that were found in 2008 (I think). Do you know of any legal way to have an archaeologist to just take a look at these things and maybe help them decide what to do, if anything? I'm not in PH, I'm in California. I have urged them to not wash any more pots, and to just leave them in place because I think that in order to figure out what they are would require the site to be undisturbed as possible. We speak through hangouts. I've been doing some fundraising and education volunteer work with this tribe, I gave them some computers ( I am a web developer by profession) which they have taken too rather quickly which is why we are able to communicate through hangouts.

What are some of the best sources to use when trying to learn more about the archaeologic field? And what sources would be best to use when trying to find out how to choose the right college and field for a high schooler interested in this?

I have found pebble artifacts in gravel that once was in the North Sulphur River in Tx. Many things are depicted including animals, rituals involving 2 human faces pressed together and mastodon carvings which indicate the spiritual union of humans and mastodons. They really are not photographable or reproducable; I am doing drawings of the depictions. Please advise me.

I was wondering if you might be able to tell me if universities had to be accredited in some way other than regionally or nationally in order to be considered an official school of archaeology, soft of like engineering has ABET.

1. Is there a list somewhere of the extant writings remaining from the Old Kingdom (not about the Old Kingdom)?

2. If Egyptian pyramids were looted during the Old and/or Middle Kingdoms, the loot must have been sold to someone. It is logical that only the rich would have been able to purchase such purloined items from thieves. If this is correct, there must be large personal caches of looted items removed from pyramids and other tombs during the two-three thousand years prior to the Greeks and Romans. Why have these caches not come to light?

I would think that most looted objects would have been melted down or otherwise dismantled and sold. Also while there may have been collectors there is no reason to assume that collections would have stayed intact over thousands of years. “Collectors” probably sold or distributed some objects while other objects may have been lost or damaged. Regardless, even if objects were collected they probably were dispersed over time.

What evidence is there for migration out of Africa into Australia (40-60kya) as opposed to migration out of Indonesia to Australia?

Certianly the most direct route is through Indonesia but if one does not stay there very long there might not be enough DNA changes to suggest they actually came from that location.

Can you shed some light on this?

I believe Australia was populated by humans who migrated out of Africa and, almost non-stop, ended up in Australia. Others I am talking to do not and think they came from a group that was resident (for some time) in Indonesia.

I'm from Northern Ireland and live in the country and have alot of fields around my house that my family own, if i were to start digging and found ancient artifacts that were maybe a few thousand years old or even dinosaur fossils, what right would the government have to to come on to my land or to claim the artifacts/fossils as government property, would i not get a say in the ownership of anything found on my own land?

I have several fossils/relics I have kept with me over the years, originally found during my adventurous youth. How would I go about finding someone to examine them and provide information on its time period, history etc?

- Shark teeth from a creek in Selma, AL

- A stone hatchet head, with what looks like old blood stains, from a mountain in northeast AL

- A rock with hundreds of fossils from the TN river

This is purely for curiousity's sake. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

How long did modern Homo sapiens and Neanderthals co-exist? Most of my research says approximately 5000 years. If Y-chromosomal Adam lived approximately 338,000 years ago. If you believe the fossils of omo1 and omo2 are fully anatomically modern Homo sapiens that lived approximately 200,000 years ago. that would give us approximately 160,000 years that we could have co-existed. Surly not all Neanderthal tribes left Africa at the same time. As the Neanderthals left looking for food and better climate doesn't it seem likely some of the Homo sapien tribes would have followed their Neanderthals cousins.

When a new fossil has been found, how do you know if it is part of the same species as current animals, or that it is an abnormality? I was having a debate with my brother who thinks we didn't evolve, and explained away fossil evidence that it was probably someone with down syndrome, or bone abnormalities.

This question would be best answered by a paleontologist. Generally, scientists who discover fossils have to compare the new finds to existing fossils. They look for unique characteristics that cannot be explained by abnormalities or variation within a known species. But this is a very simplistic explanation for a complex issue. For more on identifying species and how it works, look at these articles:

I'm about done with a novel involving archaeology. But I need expertise for accuracy. If an archaeologist were doing underground excavation and found an ancient mural in an ancient Roman dig , would the archaeolgist use a flash camera to record the image?

I gather there's some controversy about whether flash cameras really damage art. But even if they would not normally be used in my situation, how would an archaeologist record the image without flash if there's insufficient ambient light? Some other kind of camera? A drawing? Thanks for your help.

I was curious as to the condition of a sword that was found in beach sand near the ocean. If it were a steel sword and was buried 300 years ago, would the sword still be intact, or would it be rusted through and not identifiable? The reason I am asking is I am writing a children's book about buried treasure and a sword would be found in the same site as the treasure and I want to write it as accurately as possible.

How well (or badly) an item is preserved over time depends on its composition and the conditions in which it is buried. In this case, our experts believe that it would be safe to assume that the object would be recognizable as a sword but would be rusty and dull. Also, the hilt, depending on its material, would preserve differently from the rest of the sword.

I've found that some of the most important Mesozoic formations of China (Yixian, Jiufotang), are located in territories, where the cultures with oldest depictions of chinese dragons developed. Is there any link between early dragon represantations and dinosaur fossils, or is this just a coincidence?

I am majoring in AnthropologyArchaeology, with a specific interest in the Ancient Near East. What languages would be most useful to learn for this field of study? What languages are most popular in publishing related texts?

Today the achievements of the Antiquities Act are at risk. The National Monument Creation and Protection Act, H.R. 3990, erects hurdles that would make it virtually impossible for future presidents to designate national monuments